State of art and recent developments of anti-cancer strategies based on TRAIL.

Abstract

Multicellular organisms require apoptosis whereby the human body eliminates unnecessary and/or damaged cells. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, can indeed be considered as a constitutive anti-cancer mechanism that seems to be defective in more than 50% of cancers. Molecular insights on the biology of the apoptotic process have led to the development of new anti-cancer strategies aiming at recovering and stimulating this process. Preclinical and clinical studies of our and other groups have demonstrated that targeting the extrinsic apoptotic pathway by various death receptors agonists is a safe and effective anti-cancer strategy, which thus may become a new cornerstone of cancer therapy. Here, we review the most recent acquisitions and patents on TRAIL or TRAIL mimetics, as well as the combination therapies that could be used with them.

• Authors: Stella Bernardi, Paola Secchiero, Giorgio Zauli
• Journal: Recent patents on anti-cancer drug discovery (Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov) Vol. 7 Issue 2 Pg. 207-17 (May 01 2012) ISSN: 2212-3970 [Electronic] United Arab Emirates
• PMID: 22114983 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Receptors, Death Domain
• TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand

Topics

• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Humans
• Mice
• Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Receptors, Death Domain (drug effects)
• TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (agonists, chemistry, metabolism, therapeutic use)